Braden River named Rick Farmer, the Pirates’ former defensive coordinator, as the new head football coach on Monday morning, April 27.
Head coach Jason Grain stepped down for “personal reasons” at the end of March, according to Athletic Director Matt Nesser. Grain — who played at USC before coaching stints as an assistant at Booker and head cpach at Cape Coral Oasis — was hired at Braden River in June 2024, going 6-13 over the last two seasons.
After Grain stepped down, Braden River left the job open for 10 days before sifting through resumes and interviewing eight candidates. They narrowed it down to three before hiring Farmer on Monday morning, the same day spring football begins.
“Coach Farmer seemed to be the best fit moving forward,” Nesser said, later adding, “I think his organizational skills and his directness with where he’s trying to bring the program work.”
Nesser hopes that discipline is Farmer’s foundation. When a program’s disciplined, Nesser sees less penalties and players are always in the right formation. He wants great structure so there can be a “great product” on the field.
“It’s not an easy district for us,” Nesser said. “We play some state-level teams in our district here, so it’s not going to be easy, but I think it’s a great challenge that he’s ready for. He’s mentioned that.”
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Rick Farmer named Braden River football head coach, replacing Jason Grain
Reporting by Sarasota Herald-Tribune / Sarasota Herald-Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
